


My Wish For You

by ServantOfMischief



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Confessions, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Happy Ending, Itori - Freeform, Kirishima Touka - Freeform, Overjoyed Itori, Yomo Renji - Freeform, kind of a sequel to Happiness Is Overrated, smug Renji, sweet Uta, uta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 09:37:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15704616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ServantOfMischief/pseuds/ServantOfMischief
Summary: At first I thought it was just you sucking the life out of everything and everyone, but I was wrong.Sequel to Happiness is Overrated





	My Wish For You

Itori’s sitting at the rebuilt Re: café, having taken a seat by the window to feel the heat of the sun. She is looking forward to her day, as Uta has promised to spend the whole day with her, closing his shop for one day extra this week. She feels giddy, like a teenager, and she can’t help but scoff at herself and remind herself of her age. She is long past her teenage years, it is high time she acts her age for once. She grins at the silly thought. She’s planned their day as he gave her free reign to do whatever she wants, and they’re going to start it with a morning coffee at Re:’s. She’s in need of doing some shopping, and he’ll just have to deal with it, she thinks with a smirk. The doorbell chimes and Uta’s familiar smell of paint, leather and ink fills her nose as said ghoul enters the establishment.

 

For once the artist is not wearing a jacket over his sleeveless t-shirt to hide his tattoos and she smiles at the sight of the ink etching a story on his arms, the markings that make others turn to look after him with either distaste or curiosity. Old habits are hard to kill, but he’s doing it. It is far too hot outside to wear a jacket anyway though that rarely stopped him in the past in his attempts at hiding his tattoos from potential _clever_ investigators. The white and black striped shirt shows them off nicely, and he wears simple, dark harem pants reaching the middle of his shin and sandals. His dark hair, which has started to grow out a bit again, is tied back in a messy bun and his eyes are hidden behind his shades.

 

Just because ghouls and humans live in relative peace now, it does not mean people won’t grow uncomfortable with seeing ghoul eyes activated. Itori doesn’t think Uta wears the shades for the sake of the humans though, but more out of habit. And the sun is annoyingly bright, so that’s a reason to wear them too.

 

“Hey.” He takes a seat as Touka makes her way towards their table now that Itori’s companion has finally arrived.

 

“Hi. You’re right on time.” The redhead says, though it really isn’t anything new. He’s never too early, but he is also never late. Touka takes their orders and Itori notes the slight bulge under her apron. Pregnant again. Itori will admit that Ichika is a real treasure, watching her fawn over how different Uta looks compared to other people had been adorable, especially how he had not been able to quite follow her as she hurled out questions left and right, leaving him actually a bit flustered. The barkeep is actually quite content with how the dragon war ended favourably for everyone. Well, for the ones willing to adapt to the new diet and the ones who are able to let old grievances go. Well, it is amusing to follow the movements of those who still fight against the new organization too.

 

“Do you have any specific plans?” Uta asks as he sips his beverage and she smiles.

 

“I was planning on a small shopping trip and thought about having you try that new place serving ghoul-food with me. Ren-chan mentioned it, said it doesn’t taste as bad as the first tries.” He doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t argue either.

 

“Hm, well I need to shop for a few things too.” He hums and she crosses her arms on the table, leaning forward with a sly grin.

 

“Oh? Do I finally get to see where you shop for your clothes?” Despite the fact that they’ve known each other since they were teens, Itori never really figured out where he bought his clothes, and that bothers her a bit. She’s delved into the deepest, darkest, filthiest places in society and dug up information about anything and anyone, but this she never managed to figure out. He chuckles at her and shakes his head. That is a secret he will keep, he tells her.

 

“Art supplies.” He adds when she tilts her head questioningly and then pouts. She’s cute when she does that. His lips curl up into a small smile at the sight, though hides it quickly behind the rim of the cup. They pay for their coffee, say goodbye to Renji and Touka as they exit the shop and once outside, Itori grabs his hand and yanks him along. They go to an art shop first, to buy the supplies he needs. He wonders why they do his errands first and she gleefully explains that she has a lot of things she wants to buy and that it is more logical to be done with the shortest errand first. He obliges her and as time passes by and the sky begins to darken, he realizes that Itori actually isn’t spending a lot of money, she isn’t carrying that many bags at all as they head towards the subway. She spent more time chatting and pulling him around with a loose grip on his wrist and as she turns to smile at him over her shoulder, he realizes that he likes it.

 

Itori is really pretty today.

 

Even when the redhead grimaces at the taste of the synthetic food the TSC is producing, served to them at the shop Itori pulled him to, she is pretty. It’s adorable how she quickly flushes the terrible taste away with water and wrinkles her nose afterwards.

 

As she pulls him with her onto the train, he wonders if she’ll let him draw her like this, if she’ll pose for him if asked nicely enough. He takes the bags from her when the train starts moving, lets her lean against him for support when people start awkwardly bumping into each other and he adores the grin on her face, the roll of her peach coloured eyes and silent mutterings of how clumsy humans are. He agrees that they are clumsy, but he doesn’t mind right now. It’s been a good day. When they jump off the train, he is the one to catch her hand, and the surprise on her face is delightful. He wants to see more, but their day is over. Itori has a bar to open and thus she will no longer be able to focus her attention on him and him only, and Uta himself has been struck by inspiration.

 

“Thank you, U-chan.” She kisses his cheek after unlocking her apartment door. She takes her bags and he smiles as he holds onto her hand a bit longer than is necessary before he lets her retreat into her home. The artist returns to the fourth ward, enters his shop which is no longer just a mere mask shop but open to many other sorts of artistic commissions, and takes a seat by his work desk, glancing at his bag of supplies. They’ll be gone by the time he’s done with his next piece, he’s sure.

 

No one sees Uta for days. It’s not unusual for him to suddenly drop off the face of the earth for days, he’s always been like that, so Itori pays it no heed when he doesn’t answer the phone. Ghouls are no longer hunted as long as they play nice so she’s not worried that she lost him to death, and thus she leaves him be, thinking he’ll contact her when he’s good and ready for it. Renji, on the other hand, decides to pay the artist a visit, bringing with him both food and coffee.

 

“Is this what you’ve been up to, lately?” The silver-haired ghoul asks and Uta turns around, blinking owlishly. He hadn’t even heard Renji enter his shop. He must have been more focused on his work than he thought.

 

“Hm, no.” He deflects. “This is just something I’m working on now.”

 

“What is it that’s kept you off the radar for days, then?” Renji asks and Uta tilts his head, confused. Renji is also confused, because while he is looking around, he can only see the life-sized painting Uta worked on when he entered the shop and nothing else.

 

“Days?” The dark-haired ghoul asks.

 

“No one’s heard from you since you and Itori went out.”

 

“Oh.” Uta isn’t really surprised to hear that. This has happened many times over the years. Renji tosses him the package of food and he wrinkles his nose. The artificial diet the TSC has come up with sates their hunger, though not for as long as normal human flesh does so they have to eat more often, and it tastes terrible. He will, however much he hates the taste of it, give the TSC credit for actually working on a food source for ghouls instead of killing them and turning them into biological weapons.

 

“It’s gotten better.” Renji rolls his eyes, though Uta begs to differ. He tasted this, apparently, days ago. It wasn’t good then, and he realizes as he takes a bite that it isn’t good now. No miracle for the synthetic food just yet, he thinks. He will have to pull a page out of Nishiki’s book and say it tastes like shit. He sticks his tongue out in a childish act of showing just how bad he thinks the food taste and his friend grunts at the display.

 

“So, what inspired this?” Renji gestures to the painting, and Uta wonders as he tosses the distasteful piece of synthetic meat onto his work-bench, if it isn’t obvious what inspired it, considering the person in it. He has painted Itori illuminated by a soft glow, a warm light which almost seem to come from her. He’s painted her clothes a bit too see-through, he thinks, but then again, he had not exactly planned for anyone to see it. Everything around Itori in the painting is pale, but the woman herself is painted with vibrant colours, taking all the attention of the viewer. It makes Renji wonder about his friends’ relationship. He’s long since learned that Itori loves Uta, and he knows their dates and interactions are based on Uta’s childish notion that he can make himself fall in love with the redhead as well. Itori has made it clear to him she has no false hope because Uta hasn’t promised her anything and is merely going along with it to see if he can fall for her and to amuse herself in the process. Renji worried at first that Itori set herself up for heartbreak.

 

But looking at this painting and all it seems to represent, maybe it isn’t so childish after all.

 

“How do you really feel about Itori, Uta?” It may not be his place to pry, but he’s curious. Uta regards him for a moment before answering.

 

“She’s vibrant, and funny.” The silver-haired ghoul raises a brow at the short-answer, but the artist doesn’t know what else his friend wants to hear.

 

“She looks happy here. Was that intentional?” Renji points a thumb at the painting. Uta had tried to capture the expression on Itori’s face when she had smiled the brightest at him on their last outing. The reason for that is…

 

“I like it when she’s happy.” Uta admits, not even having to think about it. Itori is warm and he can trust her. He likes that. Itori is a warm person, like Renji, but yet not exactly the same. He doesn’t have to shed her blood and sink his hand into her chest to feel alive while interacting with her like he does with Renji. He just need to be close to her.

 

“So I want her to be happy.” He looks back towards Renji and blinks when he sees the open surprise colouring the other ghoul’s face. Renji rarely shows anything but a glare or a stone-faced expression, but the tattooed ghoul has caught him off-guard with his confession.

 

“What is it?” Renji wonders if Uta can’t actually properly hear himself, or if he’s just unable to realize the implications of his words or his own feelings. To the silver-haired ghoul it’s as clear as the blue sky outside what is going on, what is happening, but Uta seems unable to see it himself, despite his latest artwork practically screaming it in his face.

 

“Uta, do you love Itori?” The artist tilts his head.

 

“The reason we’re dating is so I _can_ fall for her, Renji-kun.” He says in a tone of voice that would have made Renji feel stupid in the past, but now the taller ghoul has to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep himself from bursting out laughing. He shakes his head and breathes in deep.

 

“You want her to be happy, not because you’re her friend but because you like it when she’s happy.” The dark-haired ghoul frowns, lower lip jutting forward. He still doesn’t understand, and he doesn’t like it. Renji finds his friend to be such a fool sometimes.

 

“Oh for the- Uta, you practically made her your _sun_ in this painting! Everything here pales compared to her!” The artist looks at his unfinished painting. He wants to tell Renji that it is not complete yet, that there are more colours he’s planning to add and that is why it looks like Itori is the most vibrant subject in the painting, but as he takes in the sight before him, he realizes that no strong or dominant colours he wants to use to disprove Renji will fit. Uta's not even aware that Renji is there anymore as he picks up his paintbrush and continues his work, doesn’t even hear him speak to him or leave.

 

He just continues to paint, hoping that the finished product will give him proper insight, because now he is just speculating. He is right about the supplies he bought. They are gone before he is done with the project.

 

To say Itori is surprised, and a little caught off guard considering her state of shabby clothing, when she finds Uta at her door after she closed her bar days later, is an understatement.

 

“Good evening.” She smiles and moves back to let him enter her apartment. He doesn’t say much as he enters, but when she turns around after having closed the door he’s right there, invading her personal space. She leans against the door to be able to look up at him properly, humming to herself. She’s used to him invading her personal space, it’s literally what he does, but there’s a slight furrow to his brows that confuses her. What bothers him so, she wonders.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“ _I_ was wrong.” The redheaded ghoul blinks at that. He’s not actually giving her any context, and he rarely ever admits that he is wrong about something.

 

“About what?” She questions as she crosses her arms across her chest. She’s a bit embarrassed in her sweats and grey sweater, but she hides it behind a grin. This will be good, she thinks, but she’s once again caught off guard as she doesn’t expect the words that come out from his mouth.

 

“At first I just thought it was that you sucked the life and colour out of everything around you, but I was wrong.” She blinks, before uncrossing her arms and narrowing her eyes, harshly poking him in the chest. Anyone else would have taken a step back, or two, but Uta stands as immovable as a mountain.

 

“Excuse me?” She’s not so pleased with his visit now. If this is how it’s going to be, then the tattooed ghoul can turn around and walk out. Maybe he’s given up on trying to fall in love with her and is now going for plan B, making her fall _out_ of love with him. Itori doesn't enjoy the thought.

 

“It’s because you’re so vibrant that everything else pales in comparison to you.” The annoyance fades as she stares at him wide-eyed. That is almost… sweet. Surprisingly so. She can’t tell if he’s being honest or is just worming his way out of trouble. But then she remembers that Uta doesn’t do that. He just riles people up and watch them explode in anger.

 

“I like it when you smile, when you’re happy you’re like the sun and I want to always see you smile like that and to be happy and content. I want to make you happy, Itori.” The loss of the suffix flies over Itori’s head, who can only stare at the man in front of her.

 

“What… U-chan, what are you saying?” She never dared to hope that it would ever come to this. She wants to believe, but maybe she’s reading too much into it. No one can ever know for certain with Uta. Then the artist proceeds to crush all her misgivings.

 

“I love you.” There’s a stunned silence, before a breathless giggle escapes her.

 

“Really? He nods eagerly, eyes wide in childlike wonder at her reaction to his confession. With shaking hands she reaches out and he watches how she, still wide-eyed herself, mouth open, moves closer and pulls him into an embrace, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He slowly wraps his own arms around her middle and pulls her flush against himself. He likes this. It’s nice.

 

And she really is warm. He can feel it through her sweater and she smells so good. He is almost tempted to take a bite, but refrains. He’s told her he loves her, he doesn’t have to solidify it by eating her. Itori holds him close, nosing his throat and scratching at the back of his neck.

 

“I never believed you actually would, you know.” She murmurs and grows conscious of what she’s wearing when she feels one of his hands drifts beneath her shirt and rub the skin on her hip. He won’t let her pull back though, as he walks backward towards the living room and she lets out a startled noise when he just uses his grip on her to hoist her up in the air. She is a good head shorter than him, but this is ridiculous, she thinks. He sits down on her couch and pulls her to sit in his lap and she can’t exactly complain, because the way his nails now scrape gently at her scalp, his other hand interlocked with her as he simply holds her is nice.

 

Nothing more is implicated, he’s not asking anything more from her than letting him hold her like this. Despite the calm atmosphere, Itori feels giddy like a teenager again, and extremely happy, more so than when they were the Pierrot and Tokyo was being razed the ground by a Kaneki whose kagune had been running rampant. Oh that had been the greatest show she’s ever witnessed.

 

“I love you.” Uta mutters quietly again and she doesn’t fight the smile growing on her face as she looks up at him, sees the smug expression on his face, the expression that tells her he knows exactly what he does to her. She’s not about to roll over and back down either.

 

“I adore you.” Itori replies, rubbing a spot behind his ear that make him purr like a satisfied cat. He nearly slumps in his seat before that grin stretches further across his face again, and he accepts the challenge.

 

“I’m crazy about you.” Uta retaliates, and she giggles as she shifts, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaves a kiss on the tip of his nose.

 

“I can’t stop thinking about you.” She tilts her head and grins as he thinks a bit.

 

“I’d die without you.” She pulls back and shakes her head.

 

“No, you won’t.”

 

“Probably not, but it’s a nice sentiment, isn’t it?” She laughs, shaking her head again. Uta says the silliest things sometimes, but that is one of the things she adores about him.

 

“I love you.” She comes full circle and slides off his lap to sit beside him.

 

“My wish for you is to be happy.” He adds one final word of adoration before they sit in silence.

 

“What made you realize?” Itori finally asks.

 

“Don’t claw your eyes out again, but it was Renji-kun, sort of.” The artist admits and she blinks.

 

“Ren-chan?”

 

“I made a painting of you. He pointed out something I hadn’t thought of yet.” Uta tells her, though he had thought long and hard about it as he finished his project. Itori smiles again and rests her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. She had been on her way to bed when he knocked on the door and her lover realizes she is half-asleep. When she shakes her sleepiness a bit, just enough to get to her bed, he follows as she grabs his hand and they lay down beneath the covers.

 

When Itori wakes up the next morning, with Uta wrapped around her upside down like a koala, she realizes it had not all been a dream and despite the uncomfortable sleeping position, she is pretty content with their situation. It feels different, waking up loving him still and knowing that he loves her too.

 

And she’s really curious about the painting.

 

She carefully extracts herself from the dark-haired ghoul and heads to the bathroom for a shower. He still hasn’t woken up when she re-enters her room, towel-drying her hair. She huffs and drops the towel to the floor, rummaging through her drawers to find herself some clean clothes. She turns around when she hears rustling, thinking that perhaps Uta’s finally woken up, but all he’s done is turn himself over to appear as if he’s suffocating himself in the pillows. She decides that if he’s just going to sleep all day, she’s going to head over to the fourth ward and see if she can’t find that painting of his. She’s curious, because if it really is so obvious that even Renji could see the message by just glancing at it, it must be incredible.

 

She leaves the artist a note by the bedside table before she leaves. The trip to the fourth ward is uneventful and the shop is dark when she arrives. She slips in and turns on the lights, glancing around but not seeing any painting he made recently that would make anyone believe he cared for her in a romantic sense.

 

 _‘Perhaps in the back.’_ She thinks and takes off her jacket as she swings around the corner, only to stop short. It’s life-size and it’s her and oh my good lord she cannot do anything but gawk. She’s never seen Uta create something so- so _bright_. It brings tears to her eyes knowing it is her who is the subject of this, which she hastily wipes away. She pulls on her jacket again and locks the door behind her, going straight back to her own home. Uta’s sitting on the bed, groggily running a hand through his hair as he squints at the note she left behind.

 

“Is that how you see me?” He looks up, blinking at the sight of her slightly out of breath.

 

“Hm?” He’s never been a morning person, and he’s got trouble following her.

 

“I was just at your shop. Is that how you see me?” Understanding dawns on him and he drops the note onto the bedside table again.

 

“Well, yes.” The tears she had wiped away earlier comes back with a vengeance and Uta blinks, confused and slightly worried. He stands up and slowly walks closer, tilting his head and bowing down so he can see her face which is downturned.

 

“Itori?”

 

“It’s nothing.” She shakes her head, taking a deep breath.

 

“No, what’s wrong?” He makes her look up at him and dries the tears as best he can. Her smile is wobbly, and while full of tears her eyes still shine brightly. He thinks she’s beautiful no matter what she feels, happiness or sadness and even anger. He’s just not sure why the painting would make her cry. He thought it would have made her happy, really. He furrows his brows deeper, but waits for her to answer. He doesn’t push it.

 

“It is beautiful, U-chan.”

 

“Oh, so you like it?” She nods, blinking the tears away and taking a deep breath again, this time successful in calming herself down.

 

“I really like it.” She tells him and hugs him tightly.

 

“I’m just so surprised.” She mutters.

 

“Why?”

 

“I never imagined you could make something that was less grotesque and more bright and pretty.”

 

“Ouch!” He reels back. “You wound me with your cruel, cruel words.” She just laughs at his antics, because what she said is true. One only had to take one long hard look at his career as a mask maker, and the clown masks to know he had leaned slightly more to the unique side of creation. Still she pulls him back and apologizes with a giggle, trying to smooth out his bed hair. He allows her to pull him back to the bed and have him rest his head in her lap, and let her pet him until his _wounded pride_ is healed as she apologizes over and over.

 

“It doesn’t sound sincere when you laugh at the same time.” He pouts and she sucks her lips in, trying to keep herself from laughing even more. She swallows her laughter and musters the most sincere apologetic expression she can.

 

“I really am sorry. Though you know I am right.”

 

“See, when you added that last part your apology fell flat.” He complains and she sighs.

 

“Fine. How about going to Re:, then? I’ll buy you a coffee.” He ponders a second before nodding and pulling himself up.

 

A cup of coffee would be nice. Telling Renji he was right, however, sounded a little bit less pleasant.  

 

But if Itori keeps smiling at him like that, then he imagines he can deal with it.

 

Even if the way he smirks smugly at him makes Uta want to dig his hands into Renji’s chest and rip his heart out.

 

It is reassuring to know he hasn’t changed too much since the dragon war.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by an artist on Tumblr. All credit goes to ginkochama for this one!


End file.
